Jon Huntsman Jr.

Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (26 March 1960-) was Governor of Utah (R) from 3 January 2005 to 11 August 2009, succeeding Olene Walker and preceding Gary Herbert. Huntsman was also a notable American diplomat, serving as ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993, to China from 2009 to 2011, and to Russia from 2017.

Biography
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. was born in Redwood City, California on 26 March 1960, the son of billionaire businessman Jon Huntsman Sr. and the maternal grandson of LDS Church apostle David B. Haight. Huntsman graduated from the Universities of Utah and Pennsylvania, and he worked in the White House as a staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan's administration, later serving as a delegate at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Under President George H.W. Bush, he served as deputy assistant secretary in the International Trade Administration from 1989 to 1990, and Bush appointed him ambassador to Singapore in 1992. Huntsman was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate, and, at the age of 32, he was the youngest US ambassador to serve in 100 years. From 2001 to 2003, he served as a Deputy US Trade Representative, and he was elected Governor of Utah in 2004.

Huntsman was an immensely popular governor, reaching a 90% approval rating at times. Utah ranked at number one in national job growth during Huntsman's tenure, as he cut $407 million in taxes and replaced progressive taxation with a flat tax, cut the sales tax, rose motor vehicle registration fees, proposed tax credits for families purchasing their own health insurance, and granted income tax credits for capital gains and solar projects. Huntsman also supported Cap and trade policies, supported an increased minimum wage, cut some alcohol law regulations, supported the protection of the environment, supported same-sex marriage, and supported school vouchers. His proficiency in Mandarin Chinese led to President Barack Obama appointing Huntsman as ambassador to China in 2009, and he served in that position until 2011, when he resigned in order to explore the possibility of running for president in 2012. After using up all of his resources and energy on the failed New Hampshire primary, Huntsman dropped out of the race and endorsed Mitt Romney in his stead.

Huntsman, a moderate conservative who was willing to work substantively with President Barack Obama, had a complex relationship with Donald Trump. Huntsman endorsed him during the 2016 presidential election, but he withdrew his endorsement after the Access Hollywood scandal, in which Trump was caught having lewd and demeaning conversations about women. He was considered as a possible pick for Secretary of State, but he was passed over in favor of Rex Tillerson. Huntsman was later appointed ambassador to Russia, and he agreed that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election, a fact denied by Trump.